Development and preliminary testing of a framework for quantifying local service provision for people with dementia
Quality in Ageing and Older Adults
ISSN: 1471-7794
Article publication date: 19 November 2020
Issue publication date: 1 December 2020
Abstract
Purpose
It was hypothesised that there were variations in health and social care services available for older people with dementia and their carers, and that measurement of this between localities was possible. The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for examining this.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a case study approach, data from national surveys of local authorities providing social care and National Health Services Trusts providing old age mental health services conducted in 2014/2015 in England were used. From these, indicators of variation in services for people with dementia and their carers in different geographical areas were created. Measurement of the presence/absence of each service permitted the creation of a service mix score for each area.
Findings
The framework comprised 16 attributes each with indicators describing the characteristics of the organisations providing the services; the skill mix of community mental health teams for older people; and the health care and social care services available in localities. Variation was evident, confirmed by quartile analysis and exemplars, suggesting that older people with dementia and their carers in different localities are likely to experience differences in the range of provision available, particularly social care services.
Originality/value
The case study approach used achieved its objectives, and the resultant framework has potential for generalisability and utility, given acceptable ecological validity and discriminant validity in identifying variations in service mix. It could be used in both research and practice.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the health service and local authority organisations who completed the survey. The research team acknowledges the support of the NIHR Clinical Research Network. Other members of the Programme Management Group were: Carole Ainsworth and Reagan Blyth (Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust), Professor Linda Davies (University of Manchester), Dr David Jolley, Professor Narinder Kapur (University College London), Professor Martin Orrell (University of Nottingham), Professor Fiona Poland (University of East Anglia), Professor Brenda Roe (Edge Hill University), Professor Chris Roberts, Professor Ian Russell (Swansea University) and Jean Tottie (Together in Dementia Everyday).Funding: This study is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Programme Grants for Applied Research (reference number: DTC-RP-PG-0311–12003). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
Citation
Hughes, J., Ahmed, S., Clarkson, P., Davies, S., Stewart, K. and Challis, D. (2020), "Development and preliminary testing of a framework for quantifying local service provision for people with dementia", Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 193-202. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAOA-03-2020-0010
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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